The present invention relates to a clamping device, especially a chuck for a turning lathe, a vise or similar machines, having radially adjustable base jaws that are, for example, guided within the chuck body, which may be individually or simultaneously actuated by a respective actuating member. The base jaws have toothings at a face thereof which engage toothings of exchangeable clamping jaws that are coupled to the respective base jaws via a respective key that is inserted into a respective guide groove which extends in the axial direction. The key is slidable by at least the amount of the height of the intermeshing toothings in an axial direction by an external control member.
A chuck of the aforementioned kind is known from DE-OS 29 49 566. For the axial adjustment of the key by the respective height of the intermeshing toothings a control member in the form of a clamping piece is provided which is inserted into a recess provided at the base jaws and is radially movable by a control spindle which is in a fixed position. Via slanted surfaces the adjustment movements of the clamping piece are transferred to the key. This embodiment is of a complicated design and very expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, due to the radially extending recesses within the base jaws which are required for receiving the clamping pieces the base jaws are of a weak structure and a high stability may not be ensured. The application range of such chucks is thus limited. Also, the adjusting movements of the control spindle are not directly transmitted to the key but are first transmitted to the champing piece and then via the slanted surfaces to the key. An exchange of jaws within a short period of time is thus impossible. The control spindle must be turned multiple times in order to move the key by the amount that corresponds to the height of the intermeshing toothings.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clamping device of the aforementioned kind with which an exchange of clamping jaws may be achieved within a short period of time and without difficulties and which further provides a rigid and high-load connection between the base jaws and the clamping jaws without impairing the stability of the clamping device by recesses. The required constructive expenditure should be kept at a minimum so that an economic manufacture and a versatile application range is achieved. Furthermore, the clamping jaws should be adjustable within a great radial range relative to the base jaws.